Tottenham: Thomas Frank issues Xavi Simons verdict as star prepares to face club he could have joined | OneFootball

Dutch forward had interest from west Londoners but ended up in the north of the capital

Chelsea had strong interest in Simons but it was Spurs who moved to agree a £52million deal with RB Leipzig for the Dutchman.

Asked if he still had the same enthusiasm about that as he did on the day Simons signed, Frank responded: “Yes. No doubt about that. I’m not in doubt that Xavi will perform very well for us.

“That is down to him, to me, to the team, to everyone to get it done. The one thing you don’t have in football is time, but it will take time.

“It’s completely natural. Sometimes we can’t talk about processes and time and all that, but the reality is you need it, everyone needs it."

“I’m confident. I’m sure it will happen."

Spurs struggling to create from open-play has been one of the big talking points in the early months of Frank's reign.

There have been better signs, with Simons' display against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night probably his best start for the club.

Frank is still searching for solutions in attack, but was keen to point out that it was not just on Simons to get Spurs going in the final third.

“It’s probably too much to put everything on Xavi in terms of when he’s clicking then the team is just free-floating," Frank said.

“When this team was clicking well in the last two seasons it definitely involved, most likely, Maddison, Kulusevski and Son at the same time. Dom [Solanke] came to the club last year for the first time, as I remember. So those three on the pitch at the same time gave the team a lift.

“So that’s why it cannot be on one player, in my opinion, it needs to be on three to four to get the team clicking.

“But I also understand that there are some players who need to add more to get the team free-floating and in that case, Xavi is definitely one of the players that needs to do that.

“I think he is taking steps forward. I think the game against Newcastle he found some good positions and had some good actions.

“He’s getting into the right areas and now it’s just the last decisive pass and action that can make the difference."

Simons is only 22 but has already been at some of the biggest clubs in the world. He came through the academy at Barcelona, before joining Paris Saint-Germain as a 16-year-old.

Despite those experiences at the top, Frank pointed to the unique challenges of English football and the physical demands that are now being put on Simons.

“I think his fitness is growing, his intensity is growing," Frank said.

"He’s come to a country where you need to train with high intensity. It’s a league which plays with high intensity, and I’m asking him to work harder.

“That’s three things he needs to tick. Then he comes into our team where we are finding our way together. That’s also taking a bit of time.

“Then he’s just coming to a new country. Even though he’s quite an experienced 22-year-old, he’s still coming to a new country. I think it’s very normal.

“But the big thing, yes I’m sitting down with him, yes I’m evaluating him, and yes, I think he is taking steps forward."